Authorities are investigating an austin texas shooting outside Buford's Backyard Beer Garden on Sixth Street that left multiple people dead and at least 14 wounded, according to law enforcement reports and media accounts.
Police say a man fired from a large SUV outside the bar, then drove west on Sixth Street, parked, exited with a rifle and continued shooting at pedestrians before officers shot and killed him, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said.
The suspect was later identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53‑year‑old naturalized US citizen originally from Senegal, according to a law enforcement official and federal sources who spoke to news outlets.
Officials said the shooter wore a hoodie reading "Property of Allah" and an undershirt featuring an Iranian flag, and investigators found an Iranian flag and photos of regime leaders in his apartment, according to law enforcement sources cited by CNN and CBS News.
Reports differ on the toll. CNN said two people were killed and 14 others wounded, while CBS News cited authorities saying three people died and 14 were wounded. Multiple patients were evacuated and three were reported in critical condition by officials at the scene.
Police recovered both a pistol and an assault rifle at the scene, and Austin officers who encountered the shooter "returned fire" and fatally wounded him, Chief Davis said. Bomb squad personnel briefly examined the suspect's vehicle and found no explosives, she added.
Investigation And Official Responses
The FBI San Antonio Division said the Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the inquiry after items at the scene raised concern, and acting FBI special agent in charge Alex Doran said investigators found "indicators" that point to a potential nexus to terrorism while stressing it is too early to determine motive.
Federal sources who spoke to Fox News provided additional background on Diagne's immigration history, saying he entered the US in 2000 on a B‑2 tourist visa, became a lawful permanent resident about six years later after marrying a US citizen, and naturalized in 2013.
Austin‑Travis County Emergency Medical Services chief Robert Luckritz said more than 20 EMS resources responded, with all critical patients off the scene within 24 minutes and all patients removed within 47 minutes. Mayor Kirk Watson praised first responders for saving lives.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott condemned the attack and said he ordered the Department of Public Safety to increase weekend patrols on Sixth Street, warning officials would respond to anyone "using the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texans," according to a statement cited by authorities.
